Coercive control and situational couple violence in families with child protection involvement: A case-file analysis

For this study, we conducted a case-file analysis on a sample of 100 domestic and family violence (DFV) related child protection intake reports from the South Australian Department for Child Protection (DCP). The aim of this study was to better understand the characteristics of DFV in families involved with statutory child protection services by determining whether each individual case had characteristics of coercive control or situational couple violence. We used criteria based on established descriptors of coercive control and situational couple violence in the relevant literature to determine whether the information about DFV in the subject family was indicative of either violence type. The results indicated that coercive control and situational couple violence are both likely to make up a significant proportion of DFV seen in families involved with statutory child protection services. Recognising the heterogeneity of differing dynamics and types of violence may help child protection workers to identify appropriate interventions and supports for families impacted by DFV where children are at risk or have been harmed.